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Cannon and Mortar Certification of Competency Every supervised firing of a cannon with or without projectile shall be handled by a competent operator at least 21 years of age who holds a current Certificate of Competency for Cannon Firing issued by the Marshal. (527 CMR 22.04.1) One
of the primary goals of the 9th Battery Mass. Vols. is safety. Examinations & Schedule You must be pre-registered for all license exams. If your application is incomplete, you will not be allowed to sit for the exam. Please respect the deadline dates listed below. All examinations will be given at the Department of Fire Services (DFS) in Stow MA, Room 109. All of the scheduled exams may also be taken at the DFS Northampton Office, Northampton State Hospital, Haskell Building, Third Floor. Wednesday, March
2, 2005; application deadline is Monday, February 21, 2005 Your completed application should be sent to the Department of Fire Services, Licensing Department, PO Box 1025, State Rd, Stow MA 01775. If you have questions, their phone number is 978-567-3700. Passing Score There are 26 questions
for the Cannon and Mortar Certification of Competency exam and 70% is
currently the passing grade. This means you'll need to get 19 or more
correct answers. What to Study 527
CMR 22 Note: The 527 CMR regulations can be purchased at the State House Bookstore (617-727-2834). Permit for Firing Before you fire a cannon or mortar in the state of Massachusetts you must fill out the top section of the Application for Permit form and bring it, at least 15 days in advance of the event, to the head of the fire department in the town in which the cannon or mortar will be used. The head of the fire department must grant you a permit before you can legally fire the cannon or mortar. Fees for the permit vary from town to town. In the "For
permission to" section of the form we have successfully used the
following: "Fire 10# Parrott cannon without projectile during the
Living History display on [date of event]. All blank rounds to be 8 oz.
black powder constructed and handled in full accordance of the Public
Safety Department Chapter 148 GL 9 & 10A 527 CMR - 22.00 at [event
location or street address, town] MA." FROM BOSTON - Take the Mass Pike I90 West to Route 128 North. From Route 128 North, Take Route 20 West; follow Route 20 to the intersection of Route 27 in Wayland. Turn right onto Route 27 and continue until Route 27 makes a right toward Maynard. DO NOT TURN RIGHT. Continue straight for approximately three miles and the Academy will be on your right. FROM ROUTE 495 NORTH - Take Route 85 toward Hudson. At the second traffic light, take a left onto Route 85. Take a right onto Broad Street (first street on right next to Tuck's GMC Trucks). At the second set of traffic lights, take a right onto Route 62. Continue straight until Route 62 turns left toward Stow. DO NOT TURN LEFT. Continue straight for approximately five miles and the Academy will be on your left. FROM ROUTE 495 SOUTH
- Take Route 62 East (exit 26) into Hudson Center. Continue half way around
the rotary and continue on Route 62 East. Continue straight until Route
62 turns left toward Stow. DO NOT TURN LEFT. Continue straight for approximately
five miles and the Academy will be on your left. Directions to DFS, Northampton FROM THE SOUTH - From I-91, take exit 18. Turn north on Route 5. Travel to the center of Northampton. Turn left onto Route 9 West Main Street. Follow Route 9 to the junction with Route 66. Turn left onto Route 66. Travel 0.8 mile on Route 66. The entrance to the Northampton State Hospital will be on the right at the top of the hill. FROM THE NORTH - From I-91, take exit 20. Stay on Route 5 south to the center of Northampton. Turn right on Route 9 West. Follow Route 9 to the junction with Route 66. Turn left onto Route 66. Travel 0.8 mile on Route 66. The entrance to the Northampton State Hospital will be on the right at the top of the hill. FROM THE EAST AND
WEST - Follow Route 9 to the junction with Route 66. Turn left (when traveling
west) or right (when traveling east) onto Route 66. Travel 0.8 mile on
Route 66. The entrance to the Northampton State Hospital will be on the
right at the top of the hill. The office is located in the Haskell Building
which is the first building on the left when you enter the hospital campus.
Parking is available in the front, rear and side of the building. Enter the building via the front entrance. Proceed straight down the long corridor in front of you. There is an elevator located three-quarters of the way down the corridor on the left. Take the elevator to the third floor. The DFS offices are located on the left after leaving the elevator. The 9th Battery Massachusetts Volunteers make no guarantees to the correctness of the above data. Double check the information package you receive from the DFS and the appropriate 527 CMR regulations. We want to thank Joanne Melanson for her help with the information on this page. |